Fractal Design Define R4

squarepusher

squarepusher

squarepusher

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So about to order everything for my first build in a while, coming from a macbook and being poor I have researched into a hackintosh. I very much appreciate Apples design but not so much price and out dated tech of the mac mini, so something aesthetically pleasing to the eye would be nice.

The Fractal seems to have the look I want and it seems very practical yet minimalistic. But I have heard of some quality issues, and after seeing some videos (never seen it in the flesh) I cant help think it may feel slightly cheap and flimsy, what are peoples thoughts? In the past I have got Lian Li cases and have been great sturdy quality, so that is the level of quality I want if anyone can let me know what they think? I also don't want a CD bay visible (I dont have or need one, yet so many cases still come with them).

Any other similar cases? If the Fractal was £150+ with that design all aluminium Id buy it in a heartbeat, if thats true with its current price then great! so what do people think of it?
 
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I've had a few Fractals - R2, R3, and an XL R2, as well as a Core 1000 (but I'm not counting that in this thread as that's a different beast entirely). I've also built in probably dozens of Define R2s. None felt cheap or flimsy, and I never experienced any of the quality issues I've seen pop up online.
I've found Lian Li can be a little hit and miss, with some of their cases using pretty thin aluminium and therefore feeling flimsy - something the Fractals tend to avoid as they're made of steel and have sound deadening. So, I'm not sure comparing them to Lian Li is the best thing, they're aimed at different markets to be honest.

If it helps, I would buy another Fractal in an instant if I was in the market.
 
Mine feels very solid. Plenty of room to work in and with it sat under my desk I can't hear it when gaming.
I doubt I'll change my case for my next build in a few years time
 
They are no doubt fine cases, a joy to build with, however I see where you're coming from.

The plastic door I would say is the only downside in terms of quality, it doesn't really match the styling of some of the equally priced Lian-Li cases in that respect.

I don't think you'd regret picking one up, the build quality is by no means flimsy.
 
Ordered a R4 and it arrived today looks very sleek on my desk, cant wait for the rest of my parts to arrive and out my 2008 macbook pro to rest!

The quality is fine, one slight niggle is the the panel to push on to open the front to access the fans, one of the clickers doesn't work so it hangs out slightly... a black sticker can fix that, I'll hardly be accessing it and can live with it.

Cant beat how much you can customise it and different ways to have drives etc, it is a bargain for the price, very happy thanks for the feedback :)
 
I have a Fractal Design XL R2, it feels very solidly build. Black Pearl with the Titanium front door. I suppose some rigidity comes from the sound proofing foam inside making the panels quite heavy but it has been an absolute joy to work with. If you can get the extra for the XL R2 over the R4 I would recommend it, but only if you need a full tower that is.
 
digitalx said:
I have a Fractal Design XL R2, it feels very solidly build. Black Pearl with the Titanium front door. I suppose some rigidity comes from the sound proofing foam inside making the panels quite heavy but it has been an absolute joy to work with. If you can get the extra for the XL R2 over the R4 I would recommend it, but only if you need a full tower that is.
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V1 or V2?
 
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